Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...

4. Planning as Implemented in South Africa Today
4.1.2. The Timid Presence of Urban Stakes in the Political Agenda
As early as 1994, the government drafted a policy paper addressing urban issues. 33
However, this document did not have concrete implications and served only as a
framework for reflection. In 2003, the Presidency published the National Spatial
Development Perspective (NSDP). This document addresses the challenges facing
all national policies: ensure economic growth, provide basic services to the entire
population, invest in and produce facilities in areas with high economic potential,
concentrate action in disadvantaged areas on education and health. The NSDP does
not distinguish between urban and rural stakes, and proposes economic development
and human development guidelines — that is to say it focuses on populations. Thus,
no document currently proposes real, specific actions for cities, and urban stakes do
not seem to be seen as priorities. Given the history of apartheid, the government
undoubtedly wishes to avoid “favouring” one geographic area over another, and would
prefer to act in favour of people directly:
“Efforts to address past and current social inequalities should focus on people, not
places.”
Excerpt from the National Spatial Development Perspective
72
Nevertheless, this lack of specific urban development action has been noted, and
an Urban Development Perspective for the 2 nd Decade of Democracy in South
Africa was written in May 2005. It has yet to be approved. This document clearly
identified the challenges facing cities and their importance in national development. It
proposes increasing the government’s acknowledgement of urban issues, developing
participation mechanisms for all residents, making all urban-related policies coherent,
setting up instruments and incentives to conduct this urban reform, and finally fostering
intellectual production on urban issues.
It seems politically tricky to favour certain territories over others and concentrate on
urban areas. The ANC would find it difficult to advocate an urban policy to its voters.
Therefore, there is currently no national guideline indicating the type of development
33. This document was the Urban Development Strategy, reused in 1996 in the form of the Urban Development
Framework.
Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities © AFD 2009